Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, Michigan, is a dynamic four-year, public, comprehensive university that has grown its reputation based on its award-winning leadership programs, cutting-edge technology initiatives and nationally recognized academic programs. Northern has a population of about 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Ask a few Northern students what drew them to our university and you will get a variety of answers. That's because there is no single thing that make students want to go to Northern; it is ALL the things that we do here. Northern is big enough to offer a wide variety of academic programs but is also small enough that every time you walk across campus, you'll probably wave "hi" to someone you know.

Curiosity is the raw ingredient of knowledge. It causes us to ask questions, to seek answers, to learn. At Northern Michigan University, natural curiosity and intellectual challenge meet in stimulating classes grounded in the liberal arts. So wherever your curiosity leads you, you can count on the support you need to take the next step, ask the next question, propose the next hypothesis.

The mission of the Northern Michigan University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Recreational Sports and the United States Olympic Training Site is to create an environment that promotes academic excellence, interpersonal growth and social development; embraces diversity; teaches lifetime leisure skills; fosters spirit and tradition; and builds a lifelong connection to NMU.

Yes, you'll attend your classes, but what else will you be doing as a student at Northern? There's so much stuff to choose from. There's a student organization or club – almost 300 at last count-- for just about every interest. If you're into investigating the paranormal, anime or improv comedy, there's a group. Cheer on your fellow Wildcats at a hockey game or volleyball match. Join a competitive club sport or an intramural team. The sky is the limit.

All full-time NMU undergraduate students (registered for 12 or more credit hours) are supplied with a ThinkPad® notebook computer with a standard set of applications, including Microsoft Office, and 24-hour local access to the campus network (including the Internet) as part of tuition and fees. Art and design majors will be issued an Apple® notebook computer instead of a ThinkPad for an additional fee of $150 per semester.

The TLC program, which earned Northern Michigan University international recognition as a Laureate recipient in Computerworld’s Honors Program, includes these comprehensive features:

Classrooms in new/remodeled buildings are designed to facilitate computer/network use by faculty and students. Most classrooms have wireless access to the network, and if not, a network port at every seat.

Wireless access is available in all residence hall rooms, the library and in numerous lounges, study rooms and public places around campus. Although electronic documents are encouraged, networked printers are installed in various campus locations for hard copy documents.

The university has a help desk and walk-in service center located at 116 Learning Resources Center to handle notebook computer maintenance and university-supported software questions and problems. Phone: 906-227-2468, e-mail: helpdesk@nmu.edu.

NMU leases the notebook computers and issues them to students on a two-year replacement cycle (a student will not have a computer more than two years old). There is a $500 fee that the student will be responsible for if the computer is stolen, and a $50 fee for each work order if the computer is subjected to “abnormal abuse” (spilling a beverage on the keyboard, dropping the computer, etc.). It is recommended that an insurance provider be contacted to either obtain additional coverage or add the computer to an existing policy.

Continuing students who pre-register for the following fall are able to use the computer through the summer at no additional charge.

What To Expect

A few weeks before your first semester begins, new students will receive a Teaching, Learning and Communication Initiative information mailing. The mailing will include an agreement along with information on the assigned day, time and place to pick up the computer. Distribution will begin within five days of the beginning of the semester.

At the distribution, a variety of computer setup and training options will be available. There will also be computer accessories available from the NMU Bookstore. The NMU Bookstore offers inexpensive printers, drives for backup and storage, bags and cabling to support the computer.